The present invention relates to a motor vehicle with an occupant protection device.
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
Motor vehicles are oftentimes equipped with occupant protection devices such as airbags arranged on one or both sides of the motor vehicle. A pressure-sensitive sensor ascertains a pressure differential which increases as a result of a collision with a penetrating object. A mechanical impact with an object, for example another vehicle, or a stationary object such as a tree, causes a deformation of a side region of the motor vehicle, accompanied by a change in pressure that can be ascertained by the sensor. As a consequence, the occupant protection device is triggered, for example by deploying a side airbag.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved motor vehicle to obviate prior art shortcomings and to enable earlier detection of an imminent collision and thereby allow earlier activation of an occupant protection device.